3COM WX1200 3CRWX120695A, WX4400 3CRWX440095A, WXR100 3CRWXR10095A User Manual 2

Wireless LAN Mobility System

Wireless LAN Switch Manager User’s Guide

WX4400 3CRWX440095A WX1200 3CRWX120695A WXR100 3CRWXR10095A

http://www.3com.com/

Part No. 10015081 Published June 2006

3Com Corporation 350 Campus Drive Marlborough, MA USA 01752-3064

Copyright © 2006, 3Com Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such as translation, transformation, or adaptation) without written permission from 3Com Corporation.

3Com Corporation reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make changes in content from time to time without obligation on the part of 3Com Corporation to provide notification of such revision or change.

3Com Corporation provides this documentation without warranty, term, or condition of any kind, either implied or expressed, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties, terms or conditions of merchantability, satisfactory quality, and fitness for a particular purpose. 3Com may make improvements or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this documentation at any time.

If there is any software on removable media described in this documentation, it is furnished under a license agreement included with the product as a separate document, in the hard copy documentation, or on the removable media in a directory file named LICENSE.TXT or !LICENSE.TXT. If you are unable to locate a copy, please contact 3Com and a copy will be provided to you.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND

If you are a United States government agency, then this documentation and the software described herein are provided to you subject to the following:

All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed solely at private expense. Software is delivered as “Commercial Computer Software” as defined in DFARS 252.227-7014 (June 1995) or as a “commercial item” as defined in FAR 2.101(a) and as such is provided with only such rights as are provided in 3Com’s standard commercial license for the Software. Technical data is provided with limited rights only as provided in DFAR 252.227-7015 (Nov 1995) or FAR 52.227-14 (June 1987), whichever is applicable. You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program or documentation contained in, or delivered to you in conjunction with, this User Guide.

Unless otherwise indicated, 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States and may or may not be registered in other countries.

3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com Corporation. The 3Com logo is a trademark of 3Com Corporation.

Mobility Domain, Mobility Point, Mobility Profile, Mobility System, Mobility System Software, MP, MSS, and SentrySweep are trademarks of Trapeze Networks, Inc.

Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, Windows XP, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT

It is the policy of 3Com Corporation to be environmentally-friendly in all operations. To uphold our policy, we are committed to:

Establishing environmental performance standards that comply with national legislation and regulations.

Conserving energy, materials and natural resources in all operations.

Reducing the waste generated by all operations. Ensuring that all waste conforms to recognized environmental standards. Maximizing the recyclable and reusable content of all products.

Ensuring that all products can be recycled, reused and disposed of safely.

Ensuring that all products are labelled according to recognized environmental standards.

Improving our environmental record on a continual basis.

End of Life Statement

3Com processes allow for the recovery, reclamation and safe disposal of all end-of-life electronic components.

Regulated Materials Statement

3Com products do not contain any hazardous or ozone-depleting material.

Environmental Statement about the Documentation

The documentation for this product is printed on paper that comes from sustainable, managed forests; it is fully biodegradable and recyclable, and is completely chlorine-free. The varnish is environmentally-friendly, and the inks are vegetable-based with a low heavy-metal content.

CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Conventions 9 Documentation 10 Documentation Comments 11

1 GETTING STARTED

Hardware Requirements for 3WXM Client 13 Hardware Requirements for 3WXM Services 14 Software Requirements 14 Preparing for Installation 15

User Privileges 15 Serial Number and License Key 15 Resource Allocation 16

Installing 3WXM 17

Start 3WXM Services 18 Connect 3WXM Clients to 3WXM Services 18 Configure 3WXM Services 19 3WXM Access Control 21

3WXM Interface 21

Display the Main Window 22 Using the Toolbar and Menu Bar 23 Setting Preferences 24 Easy Configuration Using Wizards 24 View Topology 24 Getting Help 25

2 PLANNING AND MANAGING YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK WITH

3WXM

Which Services To Provide? 28 Network Plan 29 RF Coverage Area 29

RF Auto-Tuning 30 RF Auto-Tuning with Modelling 30 RF Planning 31 Which Planning Method Should I Use? 31

Configuration 33

Wireless Configuration 34 AAA Security Configuration 36

System and Administration Configuration 38 Equipment Installation 40 Deployment 41 Management and Monitoring 41

Network Status 42

RF Monitoring 42

Client Monitoring 43

Rogue Detection 44

Event Logging 44

Verification 45

Reporting 45 RF Plan Optimization 46

3 CONFIGURING WIRELESS SERVICES

What are Services? 49 Configure Employee Access Services 50

Tas k Ta bl e 50

Step Summary 52

Example: Configure Employee Access 53 What’s Next? 66 Configure Guest Access Services 67

Tas k Ta bl e 67

Step Summary 69

Optional: Configure Mobility Profiles 79 What’s Next? 80 Configure Voice over Wireless IP Service 81

Tas k Ta bl e 81

Step Summary 83

Create a Radio Profile for Voice 84

Create a Service Profile for Voice 84 What’s Next? 93

4 USING RF AUTO-TUNING

What Is RF Auto-Tuning? 95 Place Your Equipment 96 Configure Initial WX Switch Connectivity 96 Upload the WX Switch Configuration into a 3WXM Network Plan 96 Create a Service Profile 97 Create a Radio Profile and Map the Service Profile to It 98 Create Your MAPs 99 Apply a Radio Profile to Each Radio 102 What’s Next? 102

5 USING RF AUTO-TUNING WITH MODELLING

What Is RF Auto-Tuning with Modelling? 103 Add Site Information 104 Insert RF Obstacles 106 Create Your RF Coverage Area 108

Create a Wiring Closet 108 Create Your RF Coverage Area 109 Add MAPs 116 Associate MAPs to the Coverage Area 116

What’s Next? 118

6 USING RF PLANNING

What is RF Planning? 119 Prepare the Floor Drawings 120 Define Site Information 121

Import a Floor Plan 126 Set the Scale 127

Clean Layout 128 Model RF Obstacles 131 Import a Site Survey 132 Plan RF Coverage 133

Add Wiring Closets 133

Create Coverage Areas 134

Compute and Place MAPs 142

Assign Channel Settings 144

Calculate Optimal Power 146

Display Coverage 148 Generate a Work Order 149 Install the Equipment 151 What’s Next? 151

7 MANAGING AND MONITORING YOUR NETWORK

Deploy Your Configuration 153 Perform Basic Administrative Tasks 155

Configuring WX Management Services 155 Distributing System Images 157

Using the Image Repository 157

Distributing System Images 157

Saving Versions of Network Plans 158 Importing and Exporting Switch Configuration Files 159 Monitoring Examples 161

Monitor an Individual User 161

Monitor a Group of Users 167

Monitor a Rogue 169

8 OPTIMIZING A NETWORK PLAN

Using RF Measurements from MAPs 178 Using RF Measurements from an Ekahau Site Survey 179

Generating an Ekahau Site Survey Work Order 180

Importing RF Measurements from the Ekahau Site Survey 183 Optimizing the RF Coverage Model 185 Locating and Fixing Coverage Holes 187

Displaying the RF Coverage Area 187

Locking Down MAPs 188

Fixing a Coverage Hole 189

Computing and Placing New MAPs 189

Replanning Your Network 189 What’s Next? 190

A OBTAINING SUPPORT FOR YOUR PRODUCT

Register Your Product 191 Purchase Value-Added Services 191 Troubleshoot Online 192 Access Software Downloads 192 Telephone Technical Support and Repair 192 Contact Us 193

INDEX

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This manual shows you how to plan, configure, deploy, and manage a Mobility System wireless LAN (WLAN) using the 3Com Wireless LAN Switch Manager (3WXM) tool suite.

Read this manual if you are a network administrator or a person responsible for managing a WLAN.

If release notes are shipped with your product and the information there differs from the information in this guide, follow the instructions in the release notes.

Most user guides and release notes are available in Adobe Acrobat Reader Portable Document Format (PDF) or HTML on the 3Com World Wide Web site:

http://www.3com.com/

Conventions Table 1 and Table 2 list conventions that are used throughout this guide.

Tab le 1 Notice Icons

Icon Notice Type Description

Information note Information that describes important features or

instructions

Caution Information that alerts you to potential loss of data or

potential damage to an application, system, or device

10 ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This manual uses the following text and syntax conventions:

Tab le 2 Text Conventions

Convention Description

Menu Name > Command

Monospace text Sets off command syntax or sample commands and system

Bold text Highlights commands that you enter or items you select.

Italic text Designates command variables that you replace with

[ ] (square brackets) Enclose optional parameters in command syntax.

{ } (curly brackets) Enclose mandatory parameters in command syntax.

| (vertical bar) Separates mutually exclusive options in command syntax.

Keyboard key names If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key

Words in italics Italics are used to:

Indicates a menu item that you select. For example, File > New indicates that you select New from the File menu.

responses.

appropriate values, or highlights publication titles or words requiring special emphasis.

names are linked with a plus sign (+). Example:

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del

 Emphasize a point.

 Denote a new term at the place where it is defined in the

text.

 Highlight an example string, such as a username or SSID.

Documentation The 3WXM documentation set includes the following documents.

 Wireless LAN Switch Manager (3WXM) Release Notes

These notes provide information about the system software release,

including new features and bug fixes.

 Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Release Notes

These notes provide information about the system software release,

including new features and bug fixes.

 Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Quick Start Guide

This guide provides instructions for performing basic setup of secure

(802.1X) and guest (WebAAA™) access, for configuring a Mobility

Domain for roaming, and for accessing a sample network plan in

3WXM for advanced configuration and management.

Documentation Comments 11

 Wireless LAN Switch Manager Reference Manual

This manual shows you how to plan, configure, deploy, and manage a Mobility System wireless LAN (WLAN) using the 3Com Wireless LAN Switch Manager (3WXM).

 Wireless LAN Switch Manager User’s Guide (this document)

This guide shows you how to plan, configure, deploy, and manage a Mobility System wireless LAN (WLAN) using the 3Com Wireless LAN Switch Manager (3WXM). It contains information about recommended system requirements you should meet for optimum 3WXM performance, installing 3WXM client and 3WXM Services software, and an introduction to using the 3WXM interface.

 Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Hardware Installation Guide

This guide provides instructions and specifications for installing a WX wireless switch in a Mobility System WLAN.

 Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Configuration Guide

This guide provides instructions for configuring and managing the system through the Mobility System Software (MSS) CLI.

Documentation Comments

 Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Command Reference

This reference provides syntax information for all MSS commands supported on WX switches.

Your suggestions are very important to us. They will help make our documentation more useful to you. Please e-mail comments about this document to 3Com at:

pddtechpubs_comments@3com.com

Please include the following information when contacting us:

 Document title

 Document part number and revision (on the title page)

 Page number (if appropriate)

12 ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Example:

 Wireless LAN Switch and Controller Configuration Guide

 Part number 730-9502-0071, Revision B

 Page 25

Please note that we can only respond to comments and questions about 3Com product documentation at this e-mail address. Questions related to Technical Support or sales should be directed in the first instance to your network supplier.

GETTING STARTED

This chapter contains information about recommended system requirements you should meet for optimum 3WXM performance, installing 3WXM client and 3WXM Services software, and an introduction to using the 3WXM interface.

Hardware Requirements for 3WXM Client

Table 3 shows the minimum and recommended requirements to run the 3WXM client on a Windows platform.

Tab le 3 Hardware Requirements for Running 3WXM Client on Windows

Minimum Recommended

Processor Intel Pentium 4 2 GHz or

equivalent

RAM 512 MB 1GB

Hard drive space available

Monitor resolution 1024x768 pixels, 24-bit

CD-ROM drive CD-ROM or equivalent CD-ROM

100 MB 200 MB

color

Intel Pentium 4 3 GHz or equivalent

1600x1200 pixels, 32-bit color

14 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

Hardware Requirements for 3WXM Services

Software Requirements

Table 4 shows the minimum and recommended requirements to run the 3WXM Services on a Windows platform.

Tab le 4 Hardware Requirements for Running 3WXM Services on Windows

Minimum Recommended

Processor Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or

RAM 1GB 2GB

Hard drive space available

Monitor resolution 1024x768 pixels, 24-bit

CD-ROM drive CD-ROM or equivalent CD-ROM

equivalent

1GB 2GB

color

Intel Pentium 4 3.6 GHz or equivalent

1600x1200 pixels, 32-bit color

3WXM client and 3WXM Services are each supported on the following Windows operating systems:

 Microsoft Windows Server 2003

 Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or higher

 Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4

You must use the English version of the operating system you select. Operating system versions in other languages are not supported with 3WXM.

The following additional software is required for certain 3WXM features:

 Web browser (for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x or 6.x or

Netscape Navigator 6.x or 7.x)—For displaying 3WXM online help,

work orders, and reports

 Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.x or later (or plug-in)—For reading the

manuals and release notes

Preparing for Installation 15

Preparing for Installation

User Privileges Before you install 3WXM, make sure that you are logged in as a user who

Serial Number and

License Key

A licensed copy of 3WXM comes with a base license key. Before you install 3WXM, make sure you have the appropriate administrative privileges on the system.

After you have installed 3WXM, you will need to register your license and the serial number with 3Com in order to obtain an activation key.

The base key along with its activation key enables you to manage up to 10 wireless LAN switches. To manage more than 10 wireless LAN switches, you also need an upgrade key and an additional activation key, which you obtain from 3Com. See “Serial Number and License Key” below for more information.

has permission to install software, or as an administrator.

After you install 3WXM, you can configure 3WXM access privileges for the user accounts on the machine. Likewise, you can configure access privileges for the monitoring service, if installed. Access privileges for the 3WXM client are completely independent of access privileges for the monitoring service, and are configured separately.

3WXM comes with a base license key, which is provided on the CD cover. To use 3WXM Services, you need to enter the base key and an activation key, which you obtain from 3Com. The base key and activation key enable you to manage up to 10 wireless LAN switches. To manage more than 10 wireless LAN switches, you also need an upgrade key and additional activation key, which you obtain from 3Com.

Each time you connect the 3WXM client to the 3WXM Services, it checks the license information. If the product is not licensed, the License wizard is displayed.

If you do not have a license key, you can run 3WXM for 30 days. Once this trial period is over, you will need to purchase a license to continue running the 3WXM software.

16 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

Resource Allocation Table 5 contains general recommended guidelines for hardware

requirements and memory allocation based on the number of radios and WX switches your server will support. A larger number of WX switches implies more connections and data processing, and consequently, more CPU is required. A larger number of radios implies more data (including client sessions) which requires more RAM and storage.

Tab le 5 Recommended Server Hardware Allocation

Number of Radios 1-25 WX Switches 25-50 WX Switches 50+ WX Switches

1 – 1000  2.4 GHz P4

 500 MB RAM

 1 GB HD

1000 – 2000  2.4 GHz P4

 1 GB RAM

 2 GB HD

 2.8 GHz P4

 500 MB RAM

 1 GB HD

 3.0 GHz P4

 1 GB RAM

 2 GB HD

 3.2 GHz Xeon

 1 GB RAM

 1 GB HD

 3.6 GHz Xeon

 2 GB RAM

 2 GB HD

3WXM Services Options

3WXM Services can be installed either in standalone mode or shared mode. Standalone mode is when 3WXM client and 3WXM Services are installed on one machine. Standalone mode is primarily used for trying out 3WXM, while shared mode is used in a working environment. In shared mode, the administrator sets up 3WXM Services on a single host (typically with more resources) and other hosts with the client 3WXM application share 3WXM Services to access network plans and monitoring information. See Figure 1.

Figure 1 3WXM Services in Shared Mode

3Com Wireless LAN Switch Manager

Clients--

Planning, Configuration and

Monitoring

Configuration

and

M onitoring Services

Console

Rst

3Com Wireless LAN Switch Manage

TTPS

Console

Rst

Console

Rst

WX Switches

Polli

HTTPS

SNM P

SNM P Traps

Services

Installing 3WXM 17

Installing 3WXM To install the 3Com Wireless Switch Manager, follow the instructions

below.

The 3WXM install program installs either just the 3WXM client, or both the 3WXM client and Services. There is no option to install the 3WXM Services only.

1 Insert the 3WXM CD in the CD-ROM drive.

If Autorun is enabled, wait briefly for the install program to start.

If Autorun is disabled, follow these steps:

a In Windows Explorer, navigate to your CD-ROM drive.

b In the Software\3WXM directory, double-click install.exe.

The Introduction page of the 3Com Wireless Switch Manager installation wizard appears, and then the Contents screen appears, as shown in the following figure.

2 Open the 3Com Wireless Switch Management folder.

3 Select 3Com Wireless Switch Manager.

18 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

4 Click the View button.

The 3Com Wireless LAN Switch Manager (3WXM) information screen appears.

5 Click the Install button.

The installation begins. During the installation, the 3Com Wireless Switch Manager installation wizard minimizes.

6 When the installation is complete, maximize the 3Com Wireless Switch

Manager installation wizard screen, and then press the Contents button.

7 Press the Exit button to close the wizard, or navigate to the other items

on the CD.

Start 3WXM Services 3WXM Services are automatically started when you install them on a

Windows system.

Connect 3WXM Clients

To connect the client to Services:

to 3WXM Services

1 Select Start > Programs > 3Com > 3WXM > 3WXM. The 3WXM

Services Connection wizard is displayed.

2 Enter the IP address or fully-qualified hostname of the machine on which

the service is installed.

If 3WXM Services is installed on the same machine as the one you are using to run 3WXM client, enter 127.0.0.1 as the IP address. This is a standard IP loopback address.

3 Specify the service port, if different from the port number in the Service

Port listbox.

Installing 3WXM 19

The port number used by the monitoring service must not be used by another application on the machine where the monitoring service is installed. If the port number is used by another application, change the port number on the monitoring service. (See “Configure 3WXM Services”.)

4 Click Next to connect to the server.

5 If the Certificate Check dialog is displayed, click Accept.

If you left the Open Network Plan option on the 3WXM Services Connection dialog selected, the server opens the last network plan.

Configure 3WXM

Services

You can change the properties of 3WXM Services.

If a firewall is enabled on the host where you install 3WXM Services, 3WXM Services will not be able to communicate with 3WXM client or with WX switches unless the firewall is configured to allow through traffic for the SSL and SNMP ports (443 and 162 by default).

To configure 3WXM Services:

1 Select To ol s > 3WXM Services Setup dialog box from the 3WXM main

tool bar. The 3WXM Services Setup wizard is displayed.

20 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

By default, a username and password are not required to access 3WXM Services from 3WXM client. You can configure user accounts for administrative, provisioning, and monitoring access. (See “3WXM Access Control” on page 21.)

2 You can optionally configure the following:

 Select the arrow buttons to change the HTTPS Server Port, which is

 Select the arrow buttons to change the SNMP Trap Receiver Port,

On each switch in the network plan, you must enable notifications and configure 3WXM Services as a notification target (trap receiver).

3WXM Services does not start listening for SNMP notifications from switches until you save the network plan.

 From the Key Store area of the window, specify security settings.

 From the Access Control area, define user accounts. For more

the port on which 3WXM Services listens for requests from 3WXM

client.

which is the port on which SNMP traps are received. Also select the

trap type (SNMPv1 or SNMPv3) you want 3WXM Services to receive

from WX switches.

information about access control, see “3WXM Access Control” on

page 21.

(The Auto-Config IP Subnet Matching option is used for field replacement of WX switches. For information, see the “Configuring WX Switches Remotely” chapter in the Wireless LAN Switch Manager Reference

Manual.)

To change these settings, use the Service Settings tab of the 3WXM Services Setup dialog.

To select monitoring settings

All monitoring options are enabled by default. You do not need to enable them and you do not need to specify the switches you want to monitor. However, for 3WXM Services to receive trap data from WX switches, SNMP notifications must be enabled and 3WXM Services must be configured as a notification target on each of the switches.

To start gathering data for monitoring, deploy your configuration to the network. For information about deploying your configuration, see “Deploy Your Configuration” on page 153.

3WXM Interface 21

3WXM Access Control You can create a user account with administrator, provision, or monitor

privileges. See Table 6 for basic privilege definitions. For a details, see the “Restricting Access to 3WXM” section in the “Getting Started” chapter of the Wireless LAN Switch Manager Reference Manual

Tab le 6 User Privilege Levels

Privilege Level Access Control Configuration Monitoring

Administrator yes yes yes

Provision no yes yes

Monitor no no yes

To configure access control

1 Select To ol s > 3WXM Services Setup from the 3WXM main tool bar.

The 3WXM Services Setup window is displayed.

2 In the Access Control area of the window, deselect Allow All Users.

3 Enter a username and password for administrative access, then click OK.

(You must configure an admin account before you can configure provision or monitor accounts.)

4 Select Add Admin Account, Add Provision Account, or Add Monitor

Account. A dialog box is displayed.

5 Enter the account name and the password and click OK.

6 To remove an account, select the account and click Remove Account.

3WXM Interface This section contains the following topics:

 “Display the Main Window” on page 22

 “Using the Toolbar and Menu Bar” on page 23

 “Setting Preferences” on page 24

 “Easy Configuration Using Wizards” on page 24

 “View Topology” on page 24

 “Getting Help” on page 25

22 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

Display the Main

Window

When you start 3WXM client and log onto 3WXM Services, a network plan is displayed by the 3WXM client. (See Figure 2 on page 23.)

 Organizer panel displays a network tree representing your WLAN’s

devices and configurations on those devices. You can use it to

navigate to Policy configurations, Equipment within your network,

and network Sites.

When you select a device or configuration in the tree, the

context-sensitive information about the device or configuration is

displayed to the right in the Content and Information panels.

 Content panel displays context-sensitive information about the device

or configuration selected from the tree in the Organizer panel. From

the Content panel, view 3Com devices and their status, verify 3Com

device configurations in the network plan and in the network, and

display event logs and Rogue detection results.

 Alerts panel displays a summary of alerts, including network and

configuration verification, Rogue detection, and local and network

changes. Click on a summary to display details.

The Lock icon indicates whether the network plan has been locked.

When you make changes to a network plan, 3WXM locks it on the

server. The lock prevents other clients who open the network plan

from modifying it while you are making changes. The network plan

remains locked until you save your changes, after which the lock is

released.

Figure 2 Main 3WXM Window with Open Network Plan

3WXM Interface 23

Organizer panel

Alerts panel

Content panel

Toolbar

Lock

icon

Using the Toolbar

and Menu Bar

The main 3WXM window has a toolbar that provides quick access to features. You can use the Back and Forward buttons to cycle through your display selections.

The menu bar (located above the toolbar) provides access to administrative options such as plan management and access to online help. For example, to open another network plan, select File > Switch Network Plan.

24 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

Setting Preferences You can set network and user interface preferences, as well as

preferences for save interval and autosave, certificate handling, RF monitoring, and logging.

1 Select To ol s > Preferences from the 3WXM main tool bar.

The Preferences wizard is displayed.

2 Select any of the tabs, make modifications in the fields, and select Reset

All to reset preferences.

Easy Configuration

Using Wizards

Wizards help walk administrators through configuration steps. There are many wizards in the 3WXM application.

Enter the required fields and click Next at the bottom of the wizard to display the next step. Click Cancel to discard any changes made with the wizard. When you are done, click Finish or OK to save changes.

You can right-click on many objects to display the Insert option. Select

Insert to create a new object that is a “child” of the selected object.

View Topology You can display a topology view of managed devices in your WLAN and

their relationships to each other. You can also click on the devices in the topology view to display summary monitoring information about each one.

To display a topology view of your network

1 Select the Monitor toolbar option.

2 In the Equipment section of the Organizer panel, select a Mobility

Domain or a WX switch.

3 If not already selected, select Explore from the drop-down list in the

Monitor tab. The topology view of the selected object is displayed.

3WXM Interface 25

You also can select a radio, in which case the floor plan where the radio is located is displayed, with status for all MAPs on that floor.

Getting Help Click Help from the Main menu bar to access different types of help:

1 Select Help > Help to display HTML help about configuring and using

3WXM.

2 Select Help > Licensing to view product licensing information.

3 Select Help > Report Problem to report a problem to 3Com Technical

Support.

4 Select Help > About 3WXM to display information about 3WXM and to

display the Release Notes. You also can click Force GC (garbage collection) to free resources.

26 CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED

PLANNING AND MANAGING YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK WITH 3WXM

This chapter contains information about planning and managing your wireless network with 3WXM. Planning your wireless network is highly recommended because it not only helps you configure and deploy it, but also aids in scaling and monitoring your network. 3Com provides you with flexible tools to assist with network planning.

You plan your wireless network to support the services you want to offer your employees, guests, or customers. Figure 3 describes the process you will follow to establish services in your company or organization, beginning with determining the services you want to offer. Each step in the process is described in this chapter.

Figure 3 Process to Establish Wireless Services

START

Determine which services to

provide

Configure services

Optimize services

Plan for network equipment and coverage

Monitor services

Generate work order and install equipment

Deploy services

28 CHAPTER 2: PLANNING AND MANAGING YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK WITH 3WXM

Which Services To Provide?

What is a service?: A service is a concept (not a selectable item in the 3WXM

interface) that represents a set of options you configure and deploy on your wireless network. You configure services to support the different levels of network access you need to provide. For example, a service configured to support employee access will have different options configured to provide greater access to the network. In contrast, a service configured for guest access typically restricts users to limited or no internal network access, but easily provides a gateway connection to the Internet.

A service can be fully isolated and independent of other services on the network (multi-hosted access is typically isolated), or you can reuse part of a service configuration for another service you want to provide. Each service has potential authentications (802.1X, web page, MAC address, or “last resort”) and potential encryptions (802.11i, WPA, WEP, or unencrypted).

Purpose of this section: To provide information about services that you can

configure using 3WXM.

Why is this important?: Understanding the services you can configure with

3WXM is the first step in planning and configuring your network.

The first step you need to do when planning your wireless network is to determine which services your organization requires. The three common types of services are:

 Employee access

 Guest access

 Voice over Wireless IP (VoWIP)

Employee access is typically secure, encrypted access to the wireless network. Guest access is access (possibly unencrypted) for visitors at your location. If you intend to resell services to other providers, you will need to provide multi-hosted access.

Determining the services you will need at the beginning of the planning process results in configuration data. The configuration data is used to create service profiles and AAA rules for each service. A service profile is a subset of a radio profile. A radio profile is a common set of configuration parameters that can be applied to many MAP radios.

See “Create a Service Profile” on page 97 for information about configuring services.

Network Plan 29

Network Plan What is a network plan?: A network plan is the workspace in 3WXM you

use to design a wireless network.

Why is this important?: You can better manage and visualize your network

topology by creating a detailed and accurate network plan.

You can start by creating a device-oriented (WX switches and MAPs) view of your network without any geographic information about your site—no floor dimensions, building material information, or RF obstacle information. You can go a step further and provide some geographic information by adding floor dimensions, your RF coverage area, and some attenuation information, such as elevator shafts or internal concrete walls. If you want to enjoy the full benefits of network monitoring and visualization, you can create a detailed network plan. This is done by importing detailed building and floor plans into 3WXM, defining RF obstacles, and defining the quality of coverage (traffic engineering parameters) you want for specific RF coverage areas.

RF Coverage Area What is an RF coverage area?: An RF coverage area is the geographical area

in which IEEE 802.11 radios provide wireless services.

Purpose of this section: To describe the three techniques you can use for

RF coverage.

Why is this important?: By understanding available RF coverage planning

techniques, you can use the technique that meets your organization’s requirements.

There are three techniques you can use to get your wireless network started:

 RF Auto-Tuning lets you use the default auto tuning feature to select

power and channel settings for RF signals in your RF coverage area. You upload the WX switches into 3WXM, configure the MAPs, enable RF Auto-Tuning, and deploy.

30 CHAPTER 2: PLANNING AND MANAGING YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK WITH 3WXM

 RF Auto-Tuning with Modelling, as with the RF Auto-Tuning

technique, lets you set the auto tuning feature to adjust power and

channel settings to provide RF signals to the coverage area for your

users. Enhance the auto tuning feature by providing modelling

information about your geographic location. By providing some

information about your buildings and floors, you add enough details

into 3WXM so that your can better visualize your network topology

and support improved monitoring at your site.

 RF Planning is a technique you can use to create a detailed network

plan that provides powerful monitoring and visualization benefits.

Unlike RF Auto-Tuning or RF Auto-Tuning with Modelling, you do not

rely on the auto tuning feature. Instead, you fully model your

geographic location with detailed information about your floors, and

specify your RF coverage areas and your RF obstacles.

Each of these methods is described in the sections that follow.

RF Auto-Tuning To use the RF Auto-Tuning technique:

 Physically place WX switches and the MAPs in their desired locations.

RF Auto-Tuning with

Modelling

 Upload a WX switch configuration and deploy it.

 Enable the RF Auto-Tuning feature.

This is a great way to install a WX switch and some MAPs, and

observe how the network operates. The RF Auto-Tuning plan is best

suited to networks containing fewer MAPs.

To use the RF Auto-Tuning with Modelling technique, you add to the RF Auto-Tuning technique by providing some geographical modelling about your building, floors, and RF coverage area. You also add RF obstacle information for major obstacles (like concrete walls, windows, and elevator shafts) that affect attenuation—the quality of RF signals emitted from and received by the MAPs. By adding geographical modelling, you will be able to manage your network in the context of that geographical information. For example, you will be able to manage your network overlaid on a floor plan, versus managing an abstract logical group of switches and MAPs.

+ 168 hidden pages